RUNNING IN THE WOODS-thoughts from a woman who spends too much time alone in the woods.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Cabin Fever

Kevin and I spent the past week in Acadia National Park. We had planned the trip before I knew I needed surgery on my shoulder. We had originally hoped to do a lot of biking and hiking there. I am making excellent progress and hope to return to work this week or next, but biking and strenuous hiking are still out of the question. We camped at the Black Woods Campground and enjoyed wonderful Fall weather until Wednesday night and Thursday, when we had heavy rain. Our tent kept us perfectly dry and happy. We did some hiking, some sight seeing, and I ran the carriage trails while Kevin biked beside me. We also over-ate and over-drank in Bar Harbor a few times. It was a nice get away. I've been suffering from a terrible case of cabin fever since being on leave from work, so this was just what I needed!

Speaking of cabin fever, we are very happy to be in the process of purchasing a cabin in Burke, Vermont! We spend a lot of time there in North East Vermont. We love the mountain biking, Nordic skiing, snow boarding, snow shoeing, and trail running in the area. The cabin will make things much easier and nicer for us. We'll be driving there tomorrow to meet with the seller and take another look around. I'm trying not to get my heart set on it until the actual closing occurs, but I'm pretty darned excited. Hopefully Kevin will get a chance to mountain bike and I can run the trails while we are there tomorrow.

Yesterday I ran the local trails with Scout and Kevin. Kevin walks while I run, so we split up and re-join and criss-cross paths while we are out there. Scout gets a little confused and worried when we seperate. He wants us all to stick together in one happy dog pack, but he is getting used to it. I had him run a couple of miles with me and then handed him off to Kevin. Scout is doing really well on the trails and is a joy to run with. He still likes to throw in some good fast puppy sprints here and there. I do my best to go with him on these, but it's hard work.

While I love running the trails, I am really missing mountain biking. Whatever trail I am running on I find myself looking for the best line for the bike, picturing my wheels lifting over obstacles, and jumping off stumps and rocks while holding imaginary handlebars. It's been too long! I am starting to look at things in the trail and think to myself, "did I really used to ride my bike over that?" I sure hope that my skills and confidence come back to me fast when I can start riding again. And I sure hope I can get back on the bike before the snow falls!

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About Me

I've been a runner, hiker, and cross-country skier for 38 years. Recently I have taken up Mountain Biking, and I'm loving it! I just love to travel through the woods. I have a reputation for getting lost, but really I only get temporarily misplaced at times. This is because when given the choice, I tend to choose the path I've never been on.